Real-life, Tv Politics Similar For `Major Dad'

`Major Dad' Star Doesn't Adapt Politics For Tv

September 07, 1992|By JAMES ENDRST; Courant Television Columnist

A shocking revelation!

"Major Dad" used to be a Democrat!

"Most of my life I've been a Democrat," says Gerald McRaney, who's about to begin his fourth season as straight-arrow Marine Maj. John MacGillis on CBS's "Major Dad" (Friday nights at 8:30 beginning Sept. 25 on WFSB, Channel 3). "But the last several presidential elections have finally convinced me that I might as well go ahead and admit I'm a Republican."

Speaking by phone from the set of his show in Los Angeles, McRaney says he didn't change so much as the Democrats did. Which is why he's doing as much as he can informally to help President Bush's campaign.

"Hubert Humphrey was the first presidential candidate that I voted for," he says. "I was sort of from the John F. Kennedy school of Democrats, and I've seen radical change in the Democratic Party. Whereas Mr. Kennedy was all for social welfare -- to a limited degree [McRaney thinks the welfare system must be reformed] -- he was also very strong in defense and very strong for business."

The 45-year-old actor has been to the White House a few times now. "The White House has good chow," he reports. And the day before this interview, McRaney was at a Republican fund-raiser in Los Angeles lunching with Barbara Bush.

There's also a natural connection in "Major Dad," which, after all, is about a Marine and his family (Shanna Reed plays leveling liberal wife Polly) and their life on a military base. When war in the Persian Gulf was on the horizon, the show's story line reflected that. And around the same time, as regular viewers of the show know, Vice President Dan Quayle made a brief guest appearance to salute the Marines.

In real life, McRaney and his wife, actress Delta Burke ("Designing Women" and ABC's new "Delta"), entertained American troops in Saudia Arabia with a visit during Operation Desert Shield.

And, certainly, McRaney's world view is consistent with that of the White House and the TV character he plays.

"You know Soviet communism and the Berlin Wall didn't topple just out of the kindness of their hearts," he says, calling it a "demonstration of what our military has done over the last 40 years."

McRaney admits, though, to being a political novice, adding, "For somebody who doesn't know a damn thing about this, I've been trying to do what I can."

He doesn't assume, however, that "Major Dad" is the military's favorite show or that its personnel all fall in line with the major's -- or his -- opinions.

"I've had no response really about any of the political stuff I've been doing. The directly military stuff that I do I've gotten a lot of positive response from," he says. "But you know the people in the military are not all of one mind when it comes to politics, so I'm probably going to get some people in the military who agree with me and some who disagree with me."

Unarguably, McRaney's biggest battle is with the press, especially the tabloids and, of late, with TV Guide, which in a recent cover story painted a detailed and unflattering portrait of him and Burke.

The couple met on the set of "Designing Women," and very publicly courted and then married in 1989, generating TV Guide cover stories then as well. But it was nothing compared with the coverage of Burke's battle with weight problems, which ultimately led to a nasty feud with the producers of the show and Burke's ouster last year.

Now some stories paint McRaney as a gun-crazy Svengali who can't draw the line between his character and real life and is bent on controlling the life of his psychologically fragile wife.

McRaney says they're all lies. "It's a role I play," he says of "Mac" MacGillis. "I am always dangerous but I'm not always armed," he jokes. As far as Burke is concerned, he says, "Let me tell ya, nobody has ever been Svengali to Delta Burke, up to and including me. She's very much her own woman."

He doesn't see any end in sight, however, to being a target, fair or unfair.

"With any luck I'll still have a hit show after they move it to Friday," he says. (Ironically, "Designing Women" is also being moved from Mondays to Fridays and follows "Major Dad" at 9. Meaning, if "Major Dad" does well, it's likely to help "Designing Women," a show McRaney has told CBS he won't promote.)

"And from the looks of her show [in "Delta," Burke plays a woman pursuing her country-western dreams in Nashville] it's gonna be a stupendous hit. So no, we won't get out of the fishbowl. That will remain and a lot of the cheap shots will come with it. That's just sort of one of the prices you pay."

The political world of TV's "Major Dad," isn't going to end, either. In fact, it's about to get even livelier. Turns out Polly, the liberal, will be running for mayor.

No news yet whether she'll be running against another candidate or a TV character.

CBS's "Major Dad" will have its season premiere Sept. 25 at 8:30 p.m., locally on WFSB, Channel 3